Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan proposed to encourage Syrian refugees to return voluntarily to allegedly "safe" Turkish-controlled zones in Syria. However, despite highlighting the intended well-being of the refugees, some critics argue that Erdogan's true intentions are somewhat different.
"His primary goal is to manage the domestic anti-refugee sentiment which is a major factor for voters in the upcoming polls," Guney Yildiz, a Turkey expert and PhD researcher at Cambridge University
Furthermore, the proposed "safe zone" in Idlib is far from being as safe as Erdogan outlined.
International observers still report shelling by Russia, an ally of the Assad-regime.
Idlib's "safe zone" has already become a magnet for internally displaced Syrians, as humanitarian aid is brought in on a regular basis. Unconfirmed reports refer to 5 million people who are crowded in an area meant for only 1 million.
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